Ms. Rice joins a list of other world leaders attending the opening or closing ceremonies of the Games, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who announced yesterday that he would go despite his earlier expressed concerns about human rights in China; Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has said he would attend, becoming the first Japanese prime minister since 1988 to be present for an opening ceremony overseas; and British Prime Minster Gordon Brown, who said he would attend the closing ceremony.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have said they plan not to attend the Games.